The Sunday herald., 1887-01-16
AMuSE NJ ENTS.

plimented, and, as the event has shown, gratined |
the publlc by vasntly forswearing the specie) )ous
alluremeu,s OF burlesquc, farce-comedy, and buf-
foonery, and once more cssaylng the praseworihy |
experiment, Ola shaSespearcan revival. Aristicsily
or financially considered, the venture Ia likely TO |
prove even greater success than their triumphant
rcsuscitat,on OF that apparently hopeless and dcssc
Gated relic OF the Elizabcnan drama, "rhc Comedy |
OF Errors" II Mr.. Cranes tolerably weknown |
imitation OF MIR. Robson's squeak could galvanse |
the "Two Dromos" into life, surely the "Merry
Wives" with Its wealth Of fcomc incident, character,
aud dialogue, all circlng as they do, like the mask
ers at Herne's OAK, around the foremost comedy
ngure In all that marvellous gallery of Shakespearean
Portraits has even greater claims to approval. is
perhaps too early as yet to pass Judgment upon
much OF the work which these sterling comedians
aud their excellent company have here laid out for
themselves. OF Mr. Crane especially, broad ana
bold or nice aud discriminating by turns. as Is his
Fdisidr at present, 1t would scarcely be Just to
write with any nnality OF criticism The true con-
cepton and unfolding OF this wondrous creation OF
genius and humor can never be the swift growth Of
single night or single season. The actors very
soul and spirit must have become mellow aud sa,,i-
rate with the Fals,al,,an thought AMI essence. even
as doughty Str Joipt himself with "ros OF sack
Hacket, for instance, did not seem act In, TO he
FdlSiGf. With Ben do Bar, John Jack, and the very
few other pcrsonators OF "thc fat knight iu the
memory of modern pay-goers, one always seemed
tura reasons the actor were not actually compelled
20 wear II. The humor Of MIR. Crane, however, Is a
wine OF noble vintage, which we believe will ripen
with richer aud more fragrant bloom from year to
year. and that perhaps TO green Oil age he will
main the ideal FdistCF. Mr. Robson, with a eclf-
abncgation which does him credit, brings his
quantity amusing personality aud inlmtabie o,seno
TO the comparatively slender part of ScHder, but 1t
Is Que which 10 some respects nts him exceedingly
well, and he makes OF It au admirable foil to the
bury and unctuous hunor Of valiant aud smorous
old jack. Nearly the entire cast ls commendable,
but perhaps after the two principals the ladies' carry
OF the highest honors. Both the Merry Wives,
Miss selma Feuer as Mrs.. Ford and
Miss Mary Waldrun Mrs. Page, aud
Miss Altce Brown as Sirect Anne Page, were
very charming In Their respective roles, and played
them with much vivacity AMI grace. The Dame
quickly OF Miss George Dickson was In the true
shakespeareau spirit aud an admirable bit OF work
| throughout. Mr. William Harris Ia always careful
and capable, the dialect parts OF Doctor Cdius AMI
| the Welsh parson, SIR Huph ErlnS found fairy
competent representatives In Messrs. Carpenter anu
Riegel, and the whole cast well above the
average. The views OF Old Windsor, and the scenic
effects In general with the careful historic costum.
| Ing, completed presentation Of the notable old
| comedy which would have mide its royal patroness,
the good (7l Queen Bees, jump out OF her ruff and
| stomacher with astonishment. on Saturday night
| ''She Stoors 10 Conquer was given In excellent
| fashion, with stuart Robson as the most amusing
| Tony LuDpEin Imaginable, and Mr.. Crane perhaps
not quite 10 his element as Hardcasie. The com.
pany again did more than satisfactory work, and the
| week OF standard comedy closed with nothing but
| praises from every quarter.
| The Ideals opened the second week of their en-
| gagement at the National with perhaps the best
presentation Of "Fra Diavolo, all things considered.
ever given In this city. The cast throughout was
phenomenally strong ono, aud could scarcely have
| been improved in a single particular. Mile. dc
| Lussau has fairly surpassed all her prev;ons
trumphs, remarkable they In view OF her very
recent accession to the lyric stage, by her really ad-
| mirabe impersonaton OF Zerlfad. Nocaily and
| dramatically It was almost without a naw. The
marvellous iegertte and grace OF her execution and
the unusual carrying property OF her voice which
makes It's medium register as audible at the farthest
limit OF the theatre as the sustained nigh note In the
dnae of an ordinary singer, were more than ever
| manifest In the charming soprano plumbers OF
Anbers most popular opera. Her acting also was
characterized by brightness, freshness, AMI dell
cacy OF method that male the wel-worn role de-
ghtfully girlish virginia., and new. Mr.. Kari was,
as always, a quite too awfnlly handsome embOdi-
ment of the "laring robber and brigand," AMI sang
the music OF the part with all OF his accustomed
consceDtiousness and taste. Mr.. Lawton, the new
tenor, of course has much TO learn as an actor but
his fine voice found Its opportunity In Lorenso's
effective love song in the third act and he very
deservedly accorded the honor OF a triple recall.
The Lady Aucdsh Of Mile. Lab,ache was one OF
the sprightllest and most coquettish renditions
we have ever Witnessed, not excepting
rretty Geraldine Ulmar's, who In this vlvacious
character used to dirt with every man on The stage,
In the auditorium, and the cigarette brigade In the
lobby, without missing a note or disarrangiug a
"bang" Birnabee was, as always, immensely
funny as the lony-sufering aul ly.inposed-
upon LORD AHcdsh, and Messrs. Clark and Moraw-
. . sIi, as the ragged rascas. Beppo AMI Gfdcome,
! male music and merrimeut Ia very equal proper.
, ton. The work OF the orchestra deserves especia
praise, anu the chorus completed the ensemble OF
, performance that really left nothing to he desired
= Tuesday nigh, Ma,tha was repeated. Wednesday
the Maid ~ Honor, and go throughout, th
programme OF the first week was substantially re.
: heard, always with m)st excellent results
artlstcally, II not always to such large
. houses as they deserved. The fact Il
y the Ideals have been favorites in Washing
ton for no long, and such favorites, that our peo
pie know the older pieces Of their repertory pretty
much by heart. Its with qualification, therefore
that we hear rumors OF various seanceS with tn
drum. major OF the Marines, wherein Mile. De Lus
l. san Is said TO handle the sticks with wonderft
grace and deXerity, and just II before long a
were expecting to sound the reUeHle in the "Daugl
y ter OF the Regiment par eremple. "Carmeu
TOO, 1t is vaguely hned, is among the possibilities
and would certainly be an ideal opportunity for th
~ charming little prinld donna, and "Mignon" ais
;, we shall hope, Will be among the operas that e
long the capable manager Of the Ideals will dlscov
is to well within the abilities OF his splendid con
pany.
h. This week at the New National Miss Annie Pixl,
n, will appear In her new play, of which the Bosto
IT Globe gives tho following account: "From Mlls
and 'Zara the Gypsy' to that characterstically e.
III trsyagant Gunter comedy, The Deacon's Daug
,lr actress, Annie Pixey. run Home,rebb Is Il
" daughter OF Ii country deacon in Connecticut, wi
nj has the strongest preiudices against theare-goin
IS. among divers other carnal amusements Neyerth
y. less, when Ru, goes up to YORK, instead OF foo'
. Ing the vacation OF q nursemaid, az her parents su
e' pose, she Ia the prey of an ambition ultimate
Dr. gratned OF coursel to be an actress The sudde
Ruth who breads the paternal curse, II the fact tn
so she was an actress should come TO her father
nd knowledge by the help OF q maid, who personai
or her mistress, RUN escapes detection. But the de-
con, not at all satisfied that his daughter shou
he with female dressed dcco!lete by Satan, insls
that Rut, shall go back to his Connecticut hon
~ engaged In washing and other labOrous hOusehO
duties, with the cheerful prospect Of doing chor
for summer boarders' in the near future. Her on
NJ proves bis isi,hfulness by paying up mortgages
Ma her fathers farm, and is happy all along 10 the
81, nk financial transaction ABOVE noted, however. i
,x uu deacon aud his wife are eyleted through I
- | fnaiice OF q certain squire WnOm nutNS IeIuh
Of had angered, and so 1t happens that the Hon
bis nebbs, one and all, md an abiding place In NJ
York. Here they meet an amusing artist, OF le
ho means taan ambition, whose sayings and posin
"' afforded much pleasure last evening. A sketch
' drawn amateur star also meets the deacon, W
,ur loses lite by little, his prejudlces against
ed. theatre. lie even sees Ruth act without know
her. Except for knowing that the Charley
an whom hts daughter has confessed TO be her own
Oh Oh sweet upon the actress, the old man would be p,
fectly happy In the faint hope OF inducing MAJ
'e' Ha,cthoy'ie to give up Charley the deacon and
spouse call on the actress soon after great sta
ed success Here the denouement occuTs. Mabel a
ea Ruth found TO be and the same, and the
w. tain falls on the scene OF perfect stage happne
ey There much pleasant music for Mas Pixey TO siI
She appears TO advantage In all her scenes-that
her country home and attire being not the least
er- coming httired as q page, when sne comes u
,hs preposterous photographers gallery TO pose,
w actress looked particularly charming. Much co
'e, mendatiOn Is due NJ. G. DAILY for capital imp
no sonaiion OF the old deacon. and certainly Sam
Reeds performance as the painter photograph
The who sighed 10 he italian, and had some OF the b
re- lines In the piece, was highly amusing. irt
AueHal. the maid, won favor by some clever WI
as the pseudo-rnstress In the nrst act The X
nee eral support was very good. 'IhG DeaCJD's Dau
N..la s1stu AlFa anfU